I chatted with death penalty researcher Corinna Lain on her new book that dives into the secret history of lethal injection. Listen🎧 to that conversation here: www.wwno.org/law/2025-05-...

A few Louisiana jails continue to use leg irons — shackles — on pregnant women, state auditors found. They also dug up other problems like lack of access to enough menstrual products: www.wwno.org/law/2025-05-...

Protest activity continues in response to the Trump administration's immigration policies. In New Orleans last week, that issue took center stage at a May Day march: www.wwno.org/immigration/...

As Jazz Fest winds down for another year, revisiting this story from @josephcking.bsky.social on what Lil Wayne's booking meant for the fest. Read and listen🎧: www.wwno.org/music/2025-0...

ICYMI, a mildly #longread on the lawsuit in which incarcerated men are challenging Angola's "farm line" work. A couple of them testified in court in late April: www.wwno.org/law/2025-04-...

Some Louisiana lawmakers are trying to ban fluoride in the state's public water systems. More with audio🎧 from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/politics/202...

People who worked on Angola's infamous "farm line" at the prison testify in court as part of federal lawsuit. Story from @kstromquist.bsky.social www.wwno.org/law/2025-04-...

We're thrilled that @mississippifreepress.org is one of 5 newsrooms in the U.S. hiring a fall rural reporting intern for this fall thanks to Scripps-Howard support. Please pass this far and wide; the position is open through the end of next week: www.mississippifreepress.org/listings/ite...

In their latest, Danny McArthur took us to a conference cultivating the next generation of Black environmental justice leaders. Listen in🎧: www.wwno.org/coastal-desk...

Tensions ran high last night at a town hall about proposed changes to French Quarter security. Via @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/law/2025-03-...

Via @stephanbisaha.bsky.social, Hyundai is set to build a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana. He reports it will support manufacturing plants in Alabama and Georgia: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

Pleased to share a little corner of byline with the great Bobbi-Jeanne Misick here: veritenews.org/2025/03/26/b...

A postscript: Yesterday I received a reply to a records request I'd filed for Louisiana's emails with Alabama's Department of Corrections since nitrogen gas was authorized. I'm told there are no responsive "public, non-privileged documents." Really? Not a single email? www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

In the @nytimes.com today — VA clinicians say they're being asked to conduct teletherapy for veterans in "call center" type environments, potentially compromising access, privacy and trust: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/u...

Louisiana carried out its first execution in 15 years Tuesday, killing Jessie Hoffman Jr. with a new nitrogen gas method that unlatches possibilities for the state to someday carry out the sentences of 55 people living on death row. ✍️: @kstromquist.bsky.social for @wwno.org & Gulf States Newsroom

Louisiana will execute Jessie Hoffman Jr. this evening. It'll be the first time the state has executed someone in 15 years and will be the first time they've used nitrogen gas to do it. Here's a thread of @kstromquist.bsky.social work for the Gulf States Newsroom & @wwno.org covering this so far

As ever, I delight in a Census story. This one via @jeffadelson.bsky.social, who reports the Orleans Parish population lags well behind pre-Katrina totals. “Ultimately people can’t stay if they can’t find jobs,” one expert said: www.nola.com/news/busines...

It was Mardi Gras in the Netherlands too! "Carnaval" celebrations date to the 14th century there, @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social reports. He met a princess in a small Dutch village. Listen🎧 or read here: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

Via @stephanbisaha.bsky.social, much is at stake during this administration around Alabama's fast-growing city of Huntsville. As he reports🎧, it's a Southern outpost for federal workers in defense: wbhm.org/2025/under-t...

I wrote about the role religion is playing in the battle over Louisiana's upcoming execution. One related tidbit that didn't make it in — Jessie Hoffman's lawyers are arguing that his Buddhist breath practice makes a gas execution plan especially harmful: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-02...

Here's where @npr.org is asking to hear from people on the covid experience: www.npr.org/2025/02/28/g...

I reposted this story from last fall days before Louisiana announced it will commence executions after a 15-year pause, potentially via nitrogen gas. The first execution dates are set for March. Will be following/reporting.

In Mississippi, bills take aim at unhoused people and the practice of sleeping outdoors, @mayalmiller.bsky.social reports: mississippitoday.org/2025/02/20/h...

Before the Super Bowl, @stephanbisaha.bsky.social asked French Quarter businesses for their thoughts on how the New Year's Day attack might impact tourism. Listen to what they said🎧: wbhm.org/2025/tourism...

Hours before the Super Bowl, the family of a former Saints player gathered near the stadium where he used to play. As @josephcking.bsky.social reports🎧, they're still looking for answers after he died in police custody: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-02...

Last night, Demetrius Frazier died after Alabama carried out the nation's fourth-ever nitrogen gas execution. I reported on the future of the method and from Atmore during a similar execution last year. Advocates continue to decry the practice as experimental and cruel: www.wwno.org/law/2024-10-...

When one unhoused man said he didn't want to go to the warehouse, officers told him: “It’s either that or jail.” He offered to move. They said, “No, you can come with us or we’ll cuff you and throw you in jail.” My latest: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

More Super Bowl coverage this week from @josephcking.bsky.social — a listen🎧 in to St. Augustine's "Marching 100" band, who helped kick off the festivities. I'm always elated when I see their purple uniforms on the parade route: www.wwno.org/sports/2025-...

As Super Bowl week kicks off, @josephcking.bsky.social has the rundown of safety plans downtown and by the Dome. Listen🎧 and read here: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-01...

Here's the latest from Danny McArthur's continued reporting on rural sanitation issues in the Black Belt. I just love the way Danny uses sound🎧: wbhm.org/2025/amid-se...

Very excited my story on King Cakes and Washington Mardi Gras will run on @allthingsconsidrd.bsky.social this afternoon on @npr.org. A big shout out to Haydel's Bakery and Congressman Troy Carter.

Cat with bird flu found in Orleans Parish, Arielle Robinson reports for @veritenews.org: veritenews.org/2025/01/23/b...

Today, we are launching What Was Lost, a series that examines the emotional and cultural toll Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans through stories of the items people lost. The series starts with a story from our editor-in-chief, Terry Baquet.

New Orleans security measures on New Year's Eve veered away from the written plan that officials put together ahead of time. Story from @jeffadelson.bsky.social and Ben Myers. www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...

If anyone needs me I'll be in my lair mourning David Lynch. RIP to an absolute master. 🖤💔

Good today from @jsodonoghue.bsky.social and WRKF🎧colleague @brookethorington.bsky.social — the governor is scooting about Louisiana in a new $5.5 million plane: lailluminator.com/2025/01/16/j...

Hats off to the @nolanews.bsky.social team for this outstanding piece on the Bourbon Street terror attack, told from eyewitnesses’ perspective. Incredible feat of collaborative reporting to interview so many & pore through all the footage. Love seeing how many contributed in the footnote.

Here's what we know so far about the patchwork of wildfires blazing across Los Angeles. Keep reading for more information at the link below, and check back throughout the day for updates. www.npr.org/2025/01/09/n...

The New Year's tragedy on Bourbon Street will have a long tail, needing resources aimed at healing and recovery. Listen🎧 to more on that from @wadrewhawkins.bsky.social: www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-01...

Sliding in under the wire w/ my top 10 new movies I saw this year: 10. "Birdeater" 9. "Civil War" 8. "Spaceman" 7. "Anora" 6. "Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person" 5. "All of Us Strangers" 4. "Challengers" 3. "I Saw the TV Glow" 2. "The Substance" 1. "Love Lies Bleeding"

An uplifting listen🎧 for Christmas Eve via @josephcking.bsky.social — Birmingham's "Coach O" trains 12-year-olds and NFL stars with equal vigor. He says making great men will make great athletes: wbhm.org/2024/driven-...

Interviewer: Can you explain this gap in your resume? Me: Collecting room tone.

🚨 First post here is an investigation that took weeks. In quietly held meetings in the Louisiana Department of Health, staff were told of a dramatic shift in policy: the department had banned the promotion of COVID, flu and mpox vaccines. www.npr.org/sections/sho...

ICYMI, @stephanbisaha.bsky.social brings reporting about the strategy to use one-day day strikes to advance workers' goals 🎧: wbhm.org/2024/one-day...

Return of office tree 🎄:

Tip o' the cap to the diligent broadcasters out there at the Macy's parade, where it appears to be 45 degrees and rainy (yuck).

Readying for the debut of 🐈‍⬛**my cat**🐈‍⬛ on our podcast promo!! (Have you heard the good news about 🐾**my cat**🐾)??!

Just a sampling of this year's journalism job cuts: • AP to cut 8% • Axios cuts 10% • LA Times cuts 20% • Tampa Bay Times cuts 20% • Mass layoffs at Sports Illustrated • Vice Media lays off "several hundred" • The Messenger closes, laying off ~300 • CNN cuts 100 jobs, may eliminate hundreds more

Faintly worrisome find at campus/the radio station:

This is still my advice: Become a writer anyway. Fuck it, do it, it won't save you, but it's still a beautiful dream to write novels and short stories and poems and mingle with other dreamers and make art and laugh in the face of death. And writing is constant death. Live más.